Expert: Jennifer - 12/8/2008

Question
HI,
WE HAD A PARAKEET DIE SUDDENLY ABOUT 3 DAYS AGO. THERE WAS NO APPARENT SIGNS OF ILLNESS BUT HE WAS FOUND DEAD IN HIS CAGE IN THE MORNING. I DID HEAR HIM FLUTTERING ABOUT IN HIS CAGE THAT NIGHT--BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT--THE ONLY THING I THOUGHT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IS HE BROKE HIS NECK. I HAVE 2 QUESTIONS:
1-OUR PARAKEET WAS ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD. WE KEEP OUR HOUSE AT 65 DEGREES DURING THE DAY AND 62 DEGREES AT NIGHT IN THE WINTER--WE COVERED HIM AT NIGHT. WHAT IS THE PROPER TEMPERATURE FOR A PARAKEET? I QUESTION THIS BECAUSE I READ SOMEWHERE IT SHOULD BE 70 DEGREES------BUT IN A BOOK ABOUT BREEDING PARAKEETS IT SAID THEY COULD BE RAISED "OUTSIDE" AND JUST NOT BRED IN THE WINTER.
2-OUR BIRD (IN FACT EVERY PARAKEET WE HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS) HAD A BONEY GROWTH BY THEIR NOSTRILS---WE CALLED SPECTACKLES. WE THOUGHT IT CAME WITH AGE---BUT IS THAT A PROBLEM AND IF IT IS WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT.
THANKS,
DALE

Answer
Dear Dale,
thank you for your question.
Parakeets can be kept outside in a big aviary all year round as long as they have a frostproof shelter. So 65°F shouldn't be a problem for a healthy parakeet.
It's possible that the parakeet broke his neck or he could have had a heart attack or a stroke, both don't leave any traced and can happen out of the blue. Tumors are also often not noticed until it's too late and can kill a bird quickly.

There are several possible reasons for the growth on the cere. Broody females get a flaky cere, it also turns brown. Then there are mites that may cause such a growth:
http://birds-online.de/gesundheit/gesparasiten/grabmilben_en.htm
And then there's Hyperkeratosis, that causes the cere to grow abnormally. It's usually not a problem and often the growth will fall of after some time, but an avian vet should be seen since it's possible that the growth will cover the nostrils. Here are pictures of birds with hyperkeratosis:
http://birds-online.de/gesundheit/geshaut/hyperkeratose.htm
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer